Uljana Semjonova

Uļjana Larionovna Semjonova (Russian: Ульяна Ларионовна Семёнова, romanized: Ul'yana Larionovna Semyonova; born 9 March 1952) is a retired Latvian basketball player of Russian descent who competed for the Soviet Union.[1][2]

Uļjana Semjonova
Stefania Passaro boxing out Semjonova in 1982
Personal information
Born9 March 1952 (1952-03-09) (age 71)
Zarasai, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Listed height213 cm (7 ft 0 in)
Listed weight127 kg (280 lb)
Career information
Playing career1968–1989
PositionCenter
Career history
1968-1987TTT Riga
1987-1988Tintoretto Getafe
1988-1989Valenciennes-Orchies
Career highlights and awards
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal Team
Gold medal – first place 1980 Moscow Team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1971 BrazilTeam
Gold medal – first place1975 ColombiaTeam
Gold medal – first place1983 BrazilTeam
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1968 ItalyTeam
Gold medal – first place1970 NetherlandsTeam
Gold medal – first place1972 BulgariaTeam
Gold medal – first place1974 ItalyTeam
Gold medal – first place1976 FranceTeam
Gold medal – first place1978 PolandTeam
Gold medal – first place1980 YugoslaviaTeam
Gold medal – first place1981 ItalyTeam
Gold medal – first place1983 HungaryTeam
Gold medal – first place1985 ItalyTeam

Standing at least 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in)[3] Semjonova was the leading women's basketball player in the world in the 1970s and 1980s. Wearing a men's size 21 (US) / 58 (EU) shoe, she was known for having the largest feet ever in women's basketball.[4][5] For almost all of her playing career, she played for TTT Riga, which was part of Daugava Voluntary Sports Society. With TTT, she won 15 championships in the Soviet Union and the European Champion's Cup 15 times. Semjonova was also very dominant in international play, winning two Olympic Gold medals while playing for the USSR in 1976 and 1980 and never lost a game in official international competition.[2]

She was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1976,[6] and in 1993 became the first non-US woman enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame.[7] She was an inaugural member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 1999.[8] In 2007, she was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame. During the 2007 Latvian sports personality of the year award ceremony, Semjonova received the Lifetime Contribution to Sport award.

References
  1. Semjonova, Uļjana; Kresa, Inita (1996). Kad es biju laimīga. Rīga: Latvijas Olimpiskā komiteja. p. 8. ISBN 9984-10-001-4.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Uļjana Semjonova". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.
  3. Tancredi Palmeri: Semionova sempre gigante "Dico solo grazie allo sport" (http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport_Vari/Basket/Estero/Primo_Piano/2009/01/03/semionova.shtml). La Gazzetta dello Sport, retrieved 26 April 2011
  4. Gazzetta dello Sport, Photoserie
  5. Comparison with Bill Russell's footprint (size 16 US / size 52 EU),Photoserie Archived 8 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Khavin, Boris (1979). Всё об олимпийских играх [All About Olympic Games] (in Russian) (2nd ed.). Moscow: Fizkultura i sport. p. 578.
  7. "Hall of Famers". Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  8. "WBHOF Inductees". WBHOF. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
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